© Expert Selection Systems. All rights reserved. www ... · should at least make your best guess at EVERY question before the end of the test. You might still choose to go back to

© Expert Selection Systems. All rights reserved. www.policeprep.com.au

http://www.policeprep.com.au


PREFACEWelcome to this quick preview of Master the Victoria Police Exams and congratulations on making this commitment to significantly enhance your chances of succeeding in your career goal of becoming a police officer.

I also want to thank you for choosing Police Preparation Australia to help you on your way and I want to make clear that I appreciate where you’re at right now. It was not long ago that I went through my own research on how best to prepare for selection into a local state police force.

The purpose of the full eBook Master the Victoria Police Exams is to give you a short cut to your preparations. My goal here is to show you a sample of how we provide you a one stop shop to meet all your needs in preparing for the interviews and exams to come.

You will notice certain parts of this sample refer to components of the full eBook which are not included in this free trial. You can read more on the complete text here at: http://policeprep.com.au/victoria-police-recruiting/

Finally, please feel free to email [email protected] to let us know what you found most useful and whether this sample has helped you out.

Good luck!

John Ashburton

The information contained in this guide is for information and preparation only. All questions, lessons and information are the advice and opinion of the author and do not reflect the policy or procedures of any particular police service.

The information provided is based on the authors own experience. You should always seek further advice before acting on something that the author published or recommended. The reader should always act in accordance with their own formal police training.

No part of this publication shall be reproduced, transmitted, or sold in whole or in part in any form, without the prior consent of the author. All information in this eBook is copyright Expert Selection Systems.

2

© Expert Selection Systems 2014. All rights reserved. www.policeprep.com.au

http://policeprep.com.au/victoria-police-recruiting/


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



Police Preparation Australia MASTER THE

VICTORIA POLICE EXAMScompiled by John Ashburton

SAMPLE Edition • August 2014

3




(FULL) Table of ContentsCHAPTER ONE

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK 6

CHAPTER TWO

GET TO KNOW YOUR POLICE SERVICE 8

CHAPTER THREE

THE EDUCATION ENTRANCE EXAMINATION 11

CHAPTER FOUR

VERBAL REASONING 13

CHAPTER FIVE

ENGLISH SKILLS 43

CHAPTER SIX

ABSTRACT REASONING 71

CHAPTER SEVEN

NUMERICAL REASONING 105

CHAPTER EIGHT

POLICE SPELLING TESTS 150

CHAPTER NINE

WRITING TESTING 161

4




CHAPTER TEN

PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATION AND INTERVIEW PANELS 168

CHAPTER ELEVEN

PHYSICAL COMPETENCY 172

BONUS CHAPTER

POLICE JUDGEMENT SCENARIOS 182

BONUS CHAPTER

MATHEMATICS WITHOUT A CALCULATOR 218

CHAPTER TWELVE

FINAL THOUGHTS 251

5




CHAPTER ONE

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

Welcome to your personal guidebook to preparing for police selection in Victoria. You will find a range of

useful activities here including police judgement and

decision exercises. You will also find sample aptitude exams and spelling tests. There is now a bonus chapter

of comprehensive mathematics lessons and examples to help you improve your scores and to be more

competitive in the selection pool.

It makes sense to prepare for the tests in the same order in which they are conducted. So for Victoria, you know there are three

fundamental aspects of testing. These are the written exams, the physical assessment and the psychological interview. Check with the recruiting office to

check what order you will be doing these in as this can change. So if you know

the written entrance exams are first and that the interview panels follow some weeks later, it is a good idea to focus on your written test preparation first.

You may already know your own strengths and weaknesses. This will help you determine which area to focus on and where to allocate more training time. If

you haven’t already seen them, there are a range of activities in ‘Becoming a Police Officer’ which will assist you to prioritise your training focus.

As this is a sample pack only, we’re now going to skip ahead to a short preview of the Victoria Police Entrance Examination Practice Questions....

6




CHAPTER THREE

THE EDUCATION ENTRANCE EXAMINATION

For most applicants, this is one of the most challenging areas of preparation. The written exams during police selection are not as easy to anticipate as

other tests such as physical tests. Although, in Victoria, you do have the

advantage of knowing exactly how many questions of each category you will face. This also makes it easier to break down your preparation into distinct

phases.

The following chapters will allow you to focus on each area progressively.

Alternatively you may choose to jump ahead to the components you feel need most attention.

In my own experience of preparing, the most important lesson was to have a

solid grasp of basic mathematics. After that, I spent some time getting familiar

with not only the types of questions faced; but also the best methods of solving them. Whilst there are many online aptitude tests available on police recruiting

sites, it was the basic lessons in how to solve them rapidly that were so hard to find. This chapter will solve all this for you and present everything from the

basics to the more advanced tricks to solve mathematical, verbal and abstract

reasoning problems.

Plus if you do need some extra help with numerical reasoning, you might like to check out the bonus chapter towards the end of the eBook with specific lessons on how to employ basic mathematics for numerical reasoning questions.

7




You will note that some of the questions that follow take more time to answer

than others. This also occurs in formal aptitude exams. You will be working

under a time limit so it is a good idea to skip over questions that will take a long time to answer. There may be much easier questions towards the end of

the test paper on your selection day. If you make a note of the more difficult questions, you can go back and answer them once you have finished the rest

of the test.

In Victoria, there is no penalty for incorrect answers. This means that you

should at least make your best guess at EVERY question before the end of the test. You might still choose to go back to certain questions at the end before

resorting to guess work. Just remember...

1. Submit an answer for every multiple choice (a blank answer is wrong 100%

of the time).

2. Ensure you only select ONE response. If there are two responses indicated

you will be marked as incorrect (even if one of your choices was correct).

One final comment before you start.The questions that follow are the type of questions that

you will find in your police aptitude exams.You may find yourself thinking, “What a stupid question,”

or “How is that the answer?!”These thoughts are normal.

Keep in mind the reason you are practising this. It is so you can reach your goal of becoming a police officer! So

enjoy the training and do not get angry with the questions! Think of it as developing control of your emotions

throughout the selection tests and into your new career.PLUS: As you progress, you will find many questions do

not have multiple choice.This is to advance your training and require you to

determine the correct answer without guessing!

8




CHAPTER FOUR

VERBAL REASONING

Question 1.Speech and Dumb match which following word pair:

a) Language and Limbb) Hearing and Deaf

c) Tongue and Tasted) Language and Deaf

Question 2.Melt is to Liquid as:

a) Freeze is to Iceb) Freeze is to Condense

c) Freeze is to Solid

d) Freeze is to Crystal

Question 3.

Which of the following two statements provide best indication that Sarah is not

Aaron’s girlfriend:

a) Aaron is dating Jane

b) Sarah is dating Brian

c) Brian is dating Jane

d) Brian is dating two girls

e) Aaron is dating only one girl

9




Question 4.

Find the word which means nearly the same as ‘affinity’:

a) infinite

b) kinship

c) aesthetic

d) inverted

Question 5.

Which pair of words have a similar relationship as the words ‘Marketer :

Advertisement’

a) Musician : Song

b) Magician : Costume

c) Stripper : Money

d) Police : Law

Question 6.

On a hypothetical space station, humans can talk to venetians, but not to

martians or neptunians. Martians can’t talk to humans but can talk to venetians and neptunians. Neptunians can talk to martians but not to venetians or

humans. Venetians can only talk to neptunians.

If a human wants to get a message to a martian, what chain of communication

would fit the above rules?

10




Question 7.

Which two statements prove that Molly has five white cars?

a) Molly has seven red cars.

b) Molly has five green cars.

c) Molly has two less white cars than she has red cars.

d) Molly has red cars, white cars and green cars.

e) Molly has less white cars than red cars.

END VERBAL REASONING SECTION

The full eBook ‘Master the Victoria Police Exams’ contains 40 questions on the topic of verbal reasoning complete with answer guide and explanations. I’ve also included here, the responses to these seven example questions....

VERBAL REASONING - ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS

Question 1.Speech and Dumb match which following word pair:

a) Language and Limb

b) Hearing and Deafc) Tongue and Taste

d) Language and Deaf

The correct answer is b) Hearing and Deaf. A dumb person cannot speak as a

deaf person cannot hear.

11






Question 2.Melt is to Liquid as:

a) Freeze is to Iceb) Freeze is to Condense

c) Freeze is to Solidd) Freeze is to Crystal

The correct answer is c) Freeze is to Solid. A substance that melts forms a liquid. Similarly a substance that freezes forms a solid.

Question 3.

Which of the following two statements provide best indication that Sarah is not

Aaron’s girlfriend:

a) Aaron is dating Jane

b) Sarah is dating Brian

c) Brian is dating Jane

d) Brian is dating two girls

e) Aaron is dating only one girl

The correct answer is (a) and (e). If Aaron is only dating one girl (e) and he is

dating Jane (a), then these two statements indicate that he is not Sarah’s boyfriend and vice versa.

12




Question 4.

Find the word which means nearly the same as ‘affinity’:

a) infinite

b) kinship

c) aesthetic

d) inverted

The correct answer is ‘kinship’. Affinity and kinship both indicate a natural

attraction between people or things.

Question 5.

Which pair of words have a similar relationship as the words ‘Marketer :

Advertisement’

a) Musician : Song

b) Magician : Costume

c) Stripper : Money

d) Police : Law

The correct answer is ‘Musician : Song’. A Marketer creates advertisements as

a musician creates songs.

13




Question 6.

On a hypothetical space station, humans can talk to venetians, but not to

martians or neptunians. Martians can’t talk to humans but can talk to venetians and neptunians. Neptunians can talk to martians but not to venetians or

humans. Venetians can only talk to neptunians.

If a human wants to get a message to a martian, what chain of communication

would fit the above rules?

a) Human to Martian

b) Human to Neptunian to Martian

c) Human to Venetian to Neptunian to Martian

d) Human to Neptunian to Venetian to Martian

The correct answer is (c). This can quickly be answered as it is the only option

that satisfies the very first statement that humans can only talk to venetians. We can then check the rest of the rules fit to double check the full chain of

communication!

Question 7.

Which two statements prove that Molly has five white cars?

a) Molly has seven red cars.

b) Molly has five green cars.

c) Molly has two less white cars than she has red cars.

d) Molly has red cars, white cars and green cars.

e) Molly has less white cars than red cars.

The correct answer is statements (a) and (c). By these two statements we can

see that the total of white cars equals seven minus two. This equals five. In questions like this, look for the statements that are proving the exact

NUMBERS. Statement (e) for example, certainly indicates less cars but has no

real information on numbers - so is therefore not relevant to our purpose.

14




CHAPTER FIVE

ENGLISH SKILLS

Question 1.“Not ready for the task ahead.” Which of the following words best suits this

definition?

a) FULSOMEb) UNPREPARED

c) VULNERABLE

d) FEARFUL

Question 2.Inaugurate and End have:

a) Similar meaningsb) Contradictory meanings

c) Neither similar or contradictory meanings

The correct answer is b). Contradictory meanings. Inaugurate means to open

or start. End means to close or finish.

15




Question 3, 4, 5, 6.Read the following passage and then choose the best answer in the following

four questions:“Parenting is a highly contentious issue. There is no shortage of books, blogs,

experts and opinions on how to parent. One recently published book, “Parentonomics’, by Joshua Gans, offers a refreshing perspective on this

popular theme. Gans is an economist and his views on parenting a closely tied

to his training in addressing economic challenges and problems. Among other topics, Gans cautions against reliance on incentives and the potential risks

when children attempt to manipulate events. One example of this being an older sister helping to toilet train her younger brother. As she received rewards

when her brother made a successful toilet stop, she then started giving him

additional drinks of water! One of the more controversial implications in the book is that many things we do as parents may not have the impact we think.”

Question 3.Parenting is described as ‘highly contentious’. This means it is:

a) that when people talk about it, other people want to talk about it too.b) a complicated topic

c) likely to cause argumentsd) boring to most people

Question 4.Why is the older sister giving her younger brother additional drinks of water?

a) To make him go to the toilet more.b) To reward him for going to the toilet.

c) Because he is going to the toilet.

d) There is no way to tell.

Question 5.The article implies there is how much advice available on the topic on

parenting?

a) Noneb) A little bit

c) A lotd) There is no information on this.

16




Question 6.The last sentence in the article implies that:

a) Everything parents do contributes to a child’s development.b) Actions parents take can have little or unintended consequences.

c) Parents don’t think about the impact they have on children.d) Parents don’t think about their actions enough.

Question 7.Which word in the following sentence is spelled with an incorrect meaning:

“If your not sure about the enrolment procedure, my advise is to ask the school

counsellor.”

a) enrolment

b) procedurec) advise

d) counsellor

Question 8.Which part in this sentence is incorrect?

“Do you want to come with Jane and I down to the station?”

a) Do you want

b) to come withc) Jane and I

d) down to the station?

17




Question 9.Replace the underlined component of this sentence with the appropriate word

from the four choices presented.

“Running increases the pain in my ankle joint if I don’t warm up properly.”

a) annoys

b) aggregatesc) aggravates

d) aggrivates

Question 10.Consider the following two sentences:1) Andrew is taking additional english lessons after school.

2) Andrew is excellent at maths and science, but his english skills are poor.

What does the second sentence do?

a) It explains the first sentenceb) It proves the first sentence

c) It is explained by the first sentence.d) It shows that Andrew is getting better at english.

END ENGLISH SKILLS SECTION

The full eBook ‘Master the Victoria Police Exams’ contains more than thirty questions on the topic of english skills complete with answer guide and explanations. I’ve also included here, the responses to these ten example questions....

18






ENGLISH SKILLS - ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS

Question 1.“Not ready for the task ahead.” Which of the following words best suits this

definition?

a) FULSOME

b) UNPREPAREDc) VULNERABLE

d) FEARFUL

The correct answer is b) UNPREPARED. FULSOME means insincere,

VULNERABLE means susceptible to damage and FEARFUL means to be afraid.

Question 2.Inaugurate and End have:

a) Similar meanings

b) Contradictory meaningsc) Neither similar or contradictory meanings

The correct answer is b). Contradictory meanings. Inaugurate means to open or start. End means to close or finish.

19




Question 3, 4, 5, 6.Read the following passage and then choose the best answer in the following

four questions:

“Parenting is a highly contentious issue. There is no shortage of books, blogs, experts and opinions on how to parent. One recently published book,

“Parentonomics’, by Joshua Gans, offers a refreshing perspective on this

popular theme. Gans is an economist and his views on parenting a closely tied to his training in addressing economic challenges and problems. Among other

topics, Gans cautions against reliance on incentives and the potential risks when children attempt to manipulate events. One example of this being an

older sister helping to toilet train her younger brother. As she received rewards

when her brother made a successful toilet stop, she then started giving him additional drinks of water! One of the more controversial implications in the

book is that many things we do as parents may not have the impact we think.”

Question 3.Parenting is described as ‘highly contentious’. This means it is:a) that when people talk about it, other people want to talk about it too.

b) a complicated topicc) likely to cause arguments

d) boring to most people

The answer is c). Contentious means that people have different opinions and

viewpoints and these differences can clash and cause friction.

Question 4.Why is the older sister giving her younger brother additional drinks of water?a) To make him go to the toilet more.

b) To reward him for going to the toilet.c) Because he is going to the toilet.

d) There is no way to tell.

The answer is a). She is giving him water with the intent of making him go to

the toilet. As she receives a reward when he successfully goes to the toilet.

20




Question 5.The article implies there is how much advice available on the topic on

parenting?a) None

b) A little bitc) A lot

d) There is no information on this.

The answer is c). The article states “There is no shortage of books, blogs,

experts and opinions on how to parent.” This sentence means there are a lot of different types of advice available on parenting.

Question 6.The last sentence in the article implies that:

a) Everything parents do contributes to a child’s development.b) Actions parents take can have little or unintended consequences.

c) Parents don’t think about the impact they have on children.

d) Parents don’t think about their actions enough.

The answer is b). The end of the sentence is “many things we do as parents may not have the impact we think.” This means that the impact of parenting on

children has less impact or a different impact that what is expected by parents.

21




Question 7.Which word in the following sentence is spelled with an incorrect meaning:

“If your not sure about the enrolment procedure, my advise is to ask the school

counsellor.”

a) enrolment

b) procedurec) advise

d) counsellor

The correct answer is c). You can ‘advise’ someone to do something, but you

give ‘advice’. So the correct spelling is ‘advice’. The word enrolment is a red herring in the question. Enrolment is spelled with two ‘l’s in America but with

one ‘l’ in Australia.

Question 8.Which part in this sentence is incorrect?

“Do you want to come with Jane and I down to the station?”

a) Do you want

b) to come withc) Jane and I

d) down to the station?

The correct answer is c). When to use “Jane and I” and “Jane and me” is often

confused. The simplest way to be grammatically correct is to imagine the sentence with only yourself. So for example, if you took Jane out of the

sentence above it would say:

“Do you want to come with I down to the station?”

Hopefully, this stands out to you as incorrect! In this it should read:

“Do you want to come with me down to the station?”

22




Here is an example of when “Jane and I” would be correct:

“Jane and I are going down to the station. Do you want to come too?”

(“I am going down to the station. Do you want to come too?”)

Question 9.Replace the underlined component of this sentence with the appropriate word from the four choices presented.

“Running increases the pain in my ankle joint if I don’t warm up properly.”

a) annoysb) aggregates

c) aggravatesd) aggrivates

The correct answer is c) aggravate. This is the correct spelling of “aggravate” that means “to make something worse”. This fits the phrase “increases the

pain in” the best of all options.

Question 10.Consider the following two sentences:1) Andrew is taking additional english lessons after school.

2) Andrew is excellent at maths and science, but his english skills are poor.

What does the second sentence do?

a) It explains the first sentenceb) It proves the first sentence

c) It is explained by the first sentence.d) It shows that Andrew is getting better at english.

The correct answer is (a). It is logical that Andrew is taking additional english classes because his english skills are poor. Be careful of similarly worded

options. In this case, option (c) sounds very similar but is incorrect as the second sentence is not explained by the first. It explains the first (option (a)).

23




CHAPTER SIX

ABSTRACT REASONING

Question 1. In the top row there should be four squares arranged in order, but one square has moved one row down. Which square has left its place?

24





Question 3.

All the shapes on the first row have a few common characteristics. Which

shape on the second row is best fit to fill the gap? I.�All�the�shapes�on�the�first�row�have�a�few�common�characteristics.�Which�shape�on�the�second�row�is�best�fit�to�fill�the�gap?� �

� � �

�

�

�

�

�

�The�answer�is�C.��The�main�common�feature�of�the�shapes�on�the�upper�row�is�symmetry.�All�the�squares�are�symmetrical�across�their�horizontal�axis�(that�is,�if�you�fold�the�square�across�that�axis,�you�will�have�two�identical�halves).��However,� not� all� of� them� are� symmetrical� in� respect� to� their� vertical� or�diagonal�axes.�Only�C�and�D�are�symmetrical�in�a�similar�way�to�the�squares�on�the�upper�row.�

Moreover,�each�compartment�of�a�square�must�contain�only�one�dot,�while�D�contains�two,�so� it�cannot�be�the�right�shape.�That� leaves�us�with�C�as�the�correct�answer.�

�

� �

��A� � � � B� � � C� � � D�

1. �

Figure�1.�Horizontal�mirror�symmetry;�the�dash�

represents�the�horizontal�(or�xͲ)�axis�of�symmetry.�

25




Question 4.

All the shapes on the first row have a few common characteristics. Which shape on the second row is best fit to fill the gap?

� �

��

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

The�answer�is�D.�

Weird�as�these�shapes�may�seem,�the�ones�on�the�top�row�have�one�thing�in�common:�each�big�shape�has�the�same�number�of�sides�as�the�little�shapes�inside�together.�For�example,�the�first�shape�has�six�sides,�and�it�contains�two�triangles�–�three�sides�each,�so�six�sides�together.�This�applies�to�all�the�other.�

However,�on�the�second�row�only�one�shape�fulfils�this�condition,�and�that�is�D.�The�cross�has�12�sides,�and�it�contains�an�8Ͳside�star�and�a�square.�8�+�4�=�12,�so�D�is�the�correct�answer.�

�

�

��A� � � ��B ��C � ��D

3.��

Question 5.

Discover the rule and complete the sequence with the appropriate shape.II.�Discover�the�rule�and�complete�the�sequence�with�the�appropriate�shape.��

�

��

�

�

�

�

�

�

The�answer�is�B.�

Solving� this�question� requests� the�ability� to� find�a� rule� in�chaos.�Each�grid�on� the�upper� row�contains�mixed�up�letters.�However,�some�of�the�letters�are�in�alphabetical�order:�the�ones�on�the�topͲtoͲbottom,�leftͲtoͲright�diagonal.�The�first�grid�reads�CDE,�the�second�one,�FGH,�and�the�third�one�contains�the�letters�LMN.��

If�we�look�on�the�bottom�row,�we�see�that�B�and�D�also�have�alphabetically�ordered�letters�on�the�said�diagonal.�But�only�the�letters�in�B�are�also�in�order�with�the�letters�on�the�other�grids.�Consequently,�the�order�would�be�CDEͲFGHͲIJKͲLMN.�So�B�is�the�correct�answer.�

� �

C� W� H�

J� D� I�

M� P� E�

F� S� U

P� G� R�

A� L� H

L� O A

R� M Y�

W� E� N

K� S� D�

I� P� A�

F� C� R�

I� B� D

Q� J� V

T� Z� K�

Q R� J�

�P A U

K� Z� T�

�

R� N O

B� S� P�

I� D T�

��A� � � ��B� � � ��C�� D�

7.�

26




Question 6.

Discover the rule and complete the sequence with the appropriate shape.

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�

�


The�shapes�in�the�upper�row�squares�move�45o�at�a�time.�We�can�check�this�by�watching�the�half�diagonal�which�is�initially�positioned�at�135o.�In�the�third�square,�it�is�at�225o,�in�the�fourth�it�is�at�270o,�and�in�the�fifth,�at�315o.�(Following�this�rule,�a�sixth�image�would�have�shown�it�at�0o�(as�it�appears�in�variant�B.)�This�means�that�in�the�second�square,�the�line�should�be�at�180o,�because�135�+�45�=�180.�Therefore,�the�possible�answers�are�A�and�D.�

However,�the�five�dots�have�a�pattern�of�their�own:�in�each�image,�one�more�dot�is�filled,�and�not�anyhow,�but�keeping�a�symmetry�of�filled�and�empty�dots.�While�A�maintains�the�symmetry,�it�does�not�maintain�the�order,�as�only�two�dots�should�be�filled�in�the�second�image.�Consequently,�the�missing�image�is�D.�

� �

��A� � � ��B� � ��C D�

10.�

Question 7.

Identify the movement pattern of the coloured figures on the upper row, then complete the sequence with the right choice from the bottom row.

END ABSTRACT REASONING SECTION

The full eBook ‘Master the Victoria Police Exams’ includes more than twenty questions on the topic of abstract reasoning complete with answer guide and explanations. I’ve also included here, the responses to these seven example questions....

27






ABSTRACT REASONING - ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS


The answer is A.

Each square in the upper row contains a number of triangles. In the first square there is a triangle, in the third there are three, in the fourth there are

four. Consequently, in the second one there should be two triangles, which

leaves us with A, B and C as possible answers. However, we notice that each triangle is added counter-clockwise, positioned at 90 degrees from the

previous one. This means the second square should contain a triangle pointing at 0 degrees and another one pointing at 270 degrees. Only A fulfils these

criteria, so it is the correct answer.

28





The answer is B.

In the upper row, the sun is rising and the stars are disappearing. The disk should be increasingly

visible, so the missing square can be A, B or D. However, we must notice a pattern in the number

of disappearing stars. In the first square there are 8, in the second one there are 7, while the

fourth contains only 2 stars. The only possible pattern is that the number of disappearing stars

increases by one with each square. We start with 8 stars in the first square.

8-1=7 (the number of stars in the second square)

7-2=5 (the number of stars in the third square)

5-3=2 (the number of stars in the fourth square)

So the third square should contain 5 stars, which means that the correct answer is B.

29




Question 3.

All the shapes on the first row have a few common characteristics. Which

shape on the second row is best fit to fill the gap? I.�All�the�shapes�on�the�first�row�have�a�few�common�characteristics.�Which�shape�on�the�second�row�is�best�fit�to�fill�the�gap?� �

� � �

�

�

�

�

�



�

� �

��A� � � � B� � � C� � � D�

1. �



The answer is C.

The main common feature of the shapes on the upper row is symmetry. All the squares are symmetrical across their horizontal axis (that is, if you fold the square across that axis, you will have two identical halves).

However, not all of them are symmetrical in respect to their vertical or diagonal axes. Only C and D are symmetrical in a similar way to the squares on the upper row.

Moreover, each compartment of a square must contain only one dot, while D contains two, so it cannot be the right shape. That leaves us with C as the correct answer.

I.�All�the�shapes�on�the�first�row�have�a�few�common�characteristics.�Which�shape�on�the�second�row�is�best�fit�to�fill�the�gap?� �

� � �

�

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(Horizontal mirror symmetry shown above; the dash represents the horizontal

(or x-) axis of symmetry.)

30




Question 4.

All the shapes on the first row have a few common characteristics. Which shape on the second row is best fit to fill the gap?

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Weird�as�these�shapes�may�seem,�the�ones�on�the�top�row�have�one�thing�in�common:�each�big�shape�has�the�same�number�of�sides�as�the�little�shapes�inside�together.�For�example,�the�first�shape�has�six�sides,�and�it�contains�two�triangles�–�three�sides�each,�so�six�sides�together.�This�applies�to�all�the�other.�

However,�on�the�second�row�only�one�shape�fulfils�this�condition,�and�that�is�D.�The�cross�has�12�sides,�and�it�contains�an�8Ͳside�star�and�a�square.�8�+�4�=�12,�so�D�is�the�correct�answer.�

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The answer is D.

Weird as these shapes may seem, the ones on the top row have one thing in common: each big shape has the same number of sides as the little shapes inside together. For example, the first shape has six sides, and it contains two triangles – three sides each, so six sides together. This applies to all the other.

However, on the second row only one shape fulfils this condition, and that is D. The cross has 12 sides, and it contains an 8-side star and a square. 8 + 4 = 12, so D is the correct answer.

31




Question 5.

Discover the rule and complete the sequence with the appropriate shape.II.�Discover�the�rule�and�complete�the�sequence�with�the�appropriate�shape.��

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The�answer�is�B.�

Solving� this�question� requests� the�ability� to� find�a� rule� in�chaos.�Each�grid�on� the�upper� row�contains�mixed�up�letters.�However,�some�of�the�letters�are�in�alphabetical�order:�the�ones�on�the�topͲtoͲbottom,�leftͲtoͲright�diagonal.�The�first�grid�reads�CDE,�the�second�one,�FGH,�and�the�third�one�contains�the�letters�LMN.��

If�we�look�on�the�bottom�row,�we�see�that�B�and�D�also�have�alphabetically�ordered�letters�on�the�said�diagonal.�But�only�the�letters�in�B�are�also�in�order�with�the�letters�on�the�other�grids.�Consequently,�the�order�would�be�CDEͲFGHͲIJKͲLMN.�So�B�is�the�correct�answer.�

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The answer is B.

Solving this question requests the ability to find a rule in chaos. Each grid on the upper row contains mixed up letters. However, some of the letters are in alphabetical order: the ones on the top-to-bottom, left-to-right diagonal. The first grid reads CDE, the second one, FGH, and the third one contains the letters LMN.

If we look on the bottom row, we see that B and D also have alphabetically ordered letters on the said diagonal. But only the letters in B are also in order with the letters on the other grids. Consequently, the order would be CDE-FGH-IJK-LMN. So B is the correct answer.

32




Question 6.

Discover the rule and complete the sequence with the appropriate shape.

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The�shapes�in�the�upper�row�squares�move�45o�at�a�time.�We�can�check�this�by�watching�the�half�diagonal�which�is�initially�positioned�at�135o.�In�the�third�square,�it�is�at�225o,�in�the�fourth�it�is�at�270o,�and�in�the�fifth,�at�315o.�(Following�this�rule,�a�sixth�image�would�have�shown�it�at�0o�(as�it�appears�in�variant�B.)�This�means�that�in�the�second�square,�the�line�should�be�at�180o,�because�135�+�45�=�180.�Therefore,�the�possible�answers�are�A�and�D.�

However,�the�five�dots�have�a�pattern�of�their�own:�in�each�image,�one�more�dot�is�filled,�and�not�anyhow,�but�keeping�a�symmetry�of�filled�and�empty�dots.�While�A�maintains�the�symmetry,�it�does�not�maintain�the�order,�as�only�two�dots�should�be�filled�in�the�second�image.�Consequently,�the�missing�image�is�D.�

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The answer is D.

The shapes in the upper row squares move 45o at a time. We can check this by watching the half diagonal which is initially positioned at 135o. In the third square, it is at 225o, in the fourth it is at 270o, and in the fifth, at 315o. (Following this rule, a sixth image would have shown it at 0o (as it appears in variant B.) This means that in the second square, the line should be at 180o, because 135 + 45 = 180. Therefore, the possible answers are A and D.

However, the five dots have a pattern of their own: in each image, one more dot is filled, and not anyhow, but keeping a symmetry of filled and empty dots. While A maintains the symmetry, it does not maintain the order, as only two dots should be filled in the second image. Consequently, the missing image is D.

33




Question 7.

Identify the movement pattern of the coloured figures on the upper row, then complete the sequence with the right choice from the bottom row.

The answer is C.

The coloured petals move in an awkward but still coordinated way. As illustrated in Figure 4, the single petal in the first image moves clockwise, one step at a time, while the group of three coloured petals move in the same direction, three steps at a time. In some cases, the petals overlap, so the single petal gets ‘hidden’ behind the others.

This way, in the fourth flower, the single filled petal should reach position 4, while the group of three should be in positions 6, 7 and 1, respectively. In conclusion, C is the missing flower.

The diagram below shows how the petals change position between image 1 and image 2.

III.�Identify�the�movement�pattern�of�the�coloured�figures�on�the�upper�row,�then�complete�the�sequence�with�the�right�choice�from�the�bottom�row.�

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The�coloured�petals�move�in�an�awkward�but�still�coordinated�way.�As�illustrated�in�Figure�4,�the�single�petal� in� the� first� image�moves�clockwise,�one� step�at�a� time,�while� the�group�of� three�coloured�petals�move� in� the� same�direction,� three� steps�at�a� time.� In�some�cases,� the�petals�overlap,�so�the�single�petal�gets�‘hidden’�behind�the�others.�

This�way,�in�the�fourth�flower,�the�single�filled�petal�should�reach�position�4,�while�the�group�of�three�should�be�in�positions�6,�7�and�1,�respectively.�In�conclusion,�C�is�the�missing�flower.�

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34




CHAPTER SEVEN

NUMERICAL REASONING

Question 1.

Daniel has bought a box of ice cream for $10. How many 75-cent ice cream cones could he have got for the same amount of money?

Question 2.

Find the missing number in the following sequence:

102 210 328 ......... 544

Question 3.

Jill would like to adopt a puppy, but the adoption costs $192. If Jill’s parents agree to cover half the cost and Jill earns $12 per week, how many days will it take for Jill to get her puppy?

Question 4.

Find the missing number in the sequence.

11 10 8 5 ___

Question 5.

Fill in the missing number in the sequence.

2 5 7 12 19 __

35




Question 6.

Jerry, Jason, and James are brothers. Jerry is 10 years older than Jason, and

Jason is twice as old as James. Their ages add up to 55. How old is James?

Question 7.

Notice the number patterns in the grid and write the missing numbers in the squares marked with ‘?’.

38 26 14

19 ? 7

57 39 ?

Question 8.

Complete the sequence with the missing number.

0 3 8 ....... 24 35 48

Question 9.


382 198 106 60 ......

END NUMERICAL REASONING SECTION

The full eBook ‘Master the Victoria Police Exams’ includes a massive 47 questions on the topic of numerical reasoning complete with answer guide and explanations. There is also a bonus chapter on how to quickly learn the mathematics required for the more challenging questions you will face.

I’ve also included here, the responses to these nine example questions....

36






NUMERICAL REASONING - ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS

Question 1.

Daniel has bought a box of ice cream for $10. How many 75-cent ice cream cones could he have got for the same amount of money?

Solution: He could have bought 13 ice cream cones.

When calculating, it is important to use the same unit in a mathematical operation. In this case, we have dollars and cents, so we must converts dollars (the larger unit) to cents (the smaller unit). Each dollar has 100 cents, so 10 dollars * 100 cents = 1000 cents.

Now we divide the total sum, 1000 cents, to the price of an ice cream cone, which is 75 cents. 1000 ÷ 75 = 13,(3), or 13 (remainder 25). In other words, Daniel could have bought 13 ice cream cones, and he would have been left with 25 cents.

Question 2.

Find the missing number in the following sequence:

102 210 328 ......... 544

Solution: The missing number is 436.

Each number has three figures. The first two figures add 1 each, while the third figure subtracts 2. For example, the first number is 102. By applying the rule, we obtain: 1+1=2, 0+1=1, 2-2=0, so the second number is 210. Likewise, if the third number is 328 and 3+1=4, 2+1=3, 8-2=6, then the missing number is 436.

37




Question 3.

Jill would like to adopt a puppy, but the adoption costs $192. If Jill’s parents agree to cover half the cost and Jill earns $12 per week, how many days will it take for Jill to get her puppy?

The answer is: 56 days.

We know that Jill’s parents will pay for half of the cost, so that means Jill will pay for the other half. We can calculate the cost with ½*$192=$96, and now we know that Jill will have to pay $96. To find the number of weeks it’ll take for Jill to earn this $96, we can divide the total cost by the amount she earns per week. This results in $96/($12/week)=8 weeks. Now we know it will take Jill 8 weeks, but the question asks for the answer in days. Knowing there are 7 days in a week, we can find the total number of days: (8 weeks)*(7 days/week)=56 days. It will take Jill 56 days to get her puppy.

Question 4.

Find the missing number in the sequence.

11 10 8 5 ___

The answer is: 1

First we can try to identify a pattern by looking at the difference in the numbers. The difference between the first and second terms is 11-10=1. The difference between the second and third terms is 10-8=2. The difference between the third and four term is 8-5=3. Each number is decreasing, and difference is greater by 1 each time. Knowing this pattern, we can reason that the difference between the fourth and fifth term is 4. As 5-4=1, we can determine that the missing number in the sequence is 1.

38




Question 5.

Fill in the missing number in the sequence.

2 5 7 12 19 __

Answer: 31

As with number sequences, we must first identify the pattern. The difference between the first and second terms is 5 - 2 = 3.

The difference between the second and third terms is 7 - 5 = 2.

The difference between the third and fourth terms is 12-7=5.

The difference between the fourth and fifth terms is 19-12=7.

Though you may not notice it at first, the difference between the terms is equal to the preceding term. In other words, each term starting with the third is the

sum of the previous two terms, as 2 + 5 = 7 and 5 + 7 = 12 and 12 + 7 = 19.

o find the missing term, we must find the sum of its previous two terms, which make the last term 12 + 19 = 31. The missing number is 31!

Question 6.

Jerry, Jason, and James are brothers. Jerry is 10 years older than Jason, and

Jason is twice as old as James. Their ages add up to 55. How old is James?

Answer: 9 years old

To start, we can assign the variable J to Jason’s age. As Jerry is 10 years

older than Jason, Jerry’s age is J+10. Jason’s age is J. Jason is twice as old as James, so James’ age is ½ x J. As we know their ages add up to 55, we

can find the sum of their ages and solve for J:

(J + 10) + (J) + (½ J) = 55J + 10 + J + ½ J = 55

2½ J + 10 = 552½ J = 45

J = 18

Knowing Jason’s age and that Jason is twice as old as James, we find that James is ½ J = ½ (18) = 9. James is 9 years old.

39




Question 7.

Notice the number patterns in the grid and write the missing numbers in the squares marked with ‘?’.

38 26 14

19 ? 7

57 39 ?

Solution: The missing numbers are 13 (2nd column) and 21 (third column).

The pattern goes vertically, from top to bottom. On the second row, there are the halves of the numbers on the first row, while on the third one we have got the sum of the numbers on the first two rows.

Column 1: On the first row we have number 38.

38 ÷ 2 = 19 (second row), and

38 + 19 = 57 (third row).

Using the same method, we discover the missing numbers.



26 + 13 = 39 (third row)



14 + 7 = 21 (third row)

40




Question 8.


0 3 8 ....... 24 35 48

Solution: 15

Each number in the sequence adds an odd number, in ascending order, starting from 3.

0 + 3 = 3

3 + 5 = 8

8 + 7 = 15

15 + 9 = 24 and so on.

Question 9.


382 198 106 60 ......

Solution: 37

This time, each number is half the previous one, plus 7.

382 ÷ 2 + 7 = 198

198 ÷ 2 + 7 = 106

106 ÷ 2 + 7 = 60

60 ÷ 2 + 7 = 37

So 37 is the missing number.

41




FINAL COMMENTS

FINAL PREPARATIONS

Congratulations on completing this quick sample package on preparing for the

Victoria Police Police Entrance Examination. For further information on

additional practice questions and training click here:


A successful application and subsequent performance at the Police Academy

will be determined by your preparation. If you’re the sort of person who has spent the time to read and participate in the exercises provided in this book,

then I imagine you are already demonstrating a commitment to be better prepared than most other police applicants. Make sure you take the next step

and put some time into training any other specific skills and attributes that you

know will be tested in the application process.

Be confident in your abilities and don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm for

what you want. Enjoy the selection process for what it is! If you suffer set backs and hardship in your application, keep going back to your initial list of

reasons you wrote of why you are putting yourself through this. What are

those key three reasons for why you want to become a Police Officer? These personal reasons will keep you on track and ultimately lead you to success.

I thank you for investing your time in reading this sample. I have spent a great

deal of time preparing this resource and am continually striving to update and

improve the contents to make it the best preparation that I can offer.

42






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